Once back inside the cave, the wood I had collected was quickly placed in the far corner and an awkward silence settled over all four of us. Tyler stood beside Grey on the other side of the cave as Seth stuck close to me, glaring daggers at Grey.
"So... What's going on?" I asked.
At first, no one spoke and I was starting to think that they where gonna ignore me when Tyler finally spoke up.
"He's my... what you would call, my ex boyfriend... from way back before I found my mate Seth. there was a few... misunderstandings between the two at first but they worked it out eventually and now I'm with Seth and... well, yeah you get it right? They never really got along after that but it's been YEARS now so we can all move on and play nice, Seth." He explained.
"Oh! So you guys are together... I thought you where just very good friends, what with you calling each other mate and all like Australian people do... I think..." I answered.
"Yes well, a mate is more then just a boyfriend. It's someone you where fated to be with, someone you share part of your soul with..." Tyler explained.
"I see... wait, you both have been calling me mate all this time but where not..." I panicked a little.
"Yes we've been meaning to talk to you about it, but a lot happened and... well now seems as good a time as any to tell you." Tyler said, and glanced at Seth for confirmation.
"Yes it's time we talked but HE needs to make some air first." Seth stated pointing at Grey.
"This is my cave you know." Grey answered.
Seth simply stood there staring at him until Grey finally shagged and went to stand outside the cave under the pretext of keeping a look out for anyone else.
"What exactly do you have to tell me...?" I asked.
"Well you see... everyone of our people has a mate... sometime they even have more then one. a mate is someone that the goddess has chosen to be a perfect fit for you, someone that completes you, someone vital to your life. Those who do not find their mates or at least one of them don't usually live past their first century." Tyler explained.
"Ok... so why are you explaining all of this to me? I'm not one of your people..." I answered.
"Yes, what Tyler is trying to say is, your both of our second mate. We found each other at the age of seventy but we always knew that there was something missing and you where that something. It is possible for us to be mated to someone of another species." Seth said.
"How do you... what makes you think...?" I stumbled.
"The tingles you feel when we touch, that's how you know. And give it another day or two and when you shifts have caught up to the level of maturity they should have at your age, they will know it too." Seth continued explaining to me patiently.
"I mean... you must have noticed that there was something more between us right?" Tyler teased.
"Um... maybe... but how is this gonna work?" I asked.
"We'll see as we go. For now I guess we can start by... what's it called again?... dating?" Tyler asked.
I blushed and looked away only for Seth to gently cup my chin and lift my head up to meet his eyes.
"That sounds great. What do you think?" He said with a smile.
"I guess... I mean... Um, y... yes that sounds nice..." I mumbled.
Tyler suddenly jumped forward and wrapped me in a bone crushing hug, spinning me around until Seth stopped him by hugging both of us.
"We have been looking for you for so long, and now that we finally have you we couldn't have asked for a better mate. You accepted us so openly despite how different we where to what you where used to and now your not rejecting us even though it's because of us that you went through all that nightmare. Thank you." Tyler whispered in my ear and Seth nodded along to his words.
I blushed even more and mumbled something that even I didn't understand, making them smile wider and kiss both my cheeks before pulling away. Someone cleared there throat behind use, interrupting the moment.
"Sorry to break the nice mood you seem to be having here but we got company." Grey said, entering the cave again.
"Where?" Seth asked, suddenly all business again.
"About 2 kilometers out and closing quickly. They shouldn't be able to see the cave from down there but we need to stay absolutely quiet and put this on." Grey stated, lifting a good size rock and revealing a hidden compartment under it.
There was a flashlight, a hunting knife, two handguns, amunition, some matches, rope, a single pair of pants which he quickly put on and a glass container filled with a blue creamy substance in it. He took out the handguns, handing one to Seth and tucking the other in the back of his pants. He then removed the container from the hole and started spreading some it all over his body before handing it me.
"What is it?" I asked, taking a quick a sniff of it but I smelled absolutely no odder coming from it.
"It will erase your sent in case they brought tracking dogs. I made it myself." He said.
I gave him a quizzical look before spreading a thin layer on myself and passing it to Tyler who did the same followed by Seth. Grey placed it back into the hole and put the rock back in place before ushering us to the very back of the cave.
"This... isn't very hidden. If they track our sent to the cave we will be trapped." I said.
"Watch and learn kiddo, I'm prepared for almost everything. I bought the spell from a witch a few years after I had to go into hiding." He said and then walked forward, passing straight through the wall.